In a survey about “violent death” in the US, the “Center od Disease Control” CDC , studying different reasons why people die violently, found out following :
Of the almost 50.000 people dying violently (not necessarily by guns) in the USA (173 per day), around 50 % is caused by suicide.
On the 16000 cases studied in 16 states, 50 % were suicides, followed by 29,6% murders or legal intervention by police or citizens, 13.3 % by reasons unknown, and accidental killing by fire-arms : 0.7 %.
An Afro-american has a 50 % higher chance to die violently than his white brother, 60 % higher than the Asian Americans but the latin Americans or best off : they suffer 15 % less chance of violent death than the white man.
Most casualties occur between the age of 20 and 24. Men are 3 times more at risk than women.
So the New England Journal of Medecine (NEJM) dares to say : ” Deaths and wounded by handguns are a severe problem for the popular health and requires an answer from the government , the security services and the medical institutions.”
Guns kill a total of 30143 people in the US (2005). Of them : 17000 suicides, 12352 murders and 789 accidents.
Also 70.000 wounded occur by guns.
So in the US , every 17 minutes someone will be killed by a gun, and every 5 minutes a death or wounded will occur.
But all this says nothing as long as we think that only the bad guys die. It’s a very big country too, of course, and i do not think that suicide rates are lower in Europe.
But look at this : Living in a house where guns are present, increases the chances of murder with 40 to 170 % (depending on the region and environment you live in.). And the risk of suicide by gun increases with 90 to 460 % !
They also claim that the decrease in criminal statistics relative to the higher presence of guns is a myth.
Guns are now so wide-spread that they may endanger a “civil society”, they say.(in other words : in the end, courts would no longer be necessary as everyone is judge for himself.).
Wouldn’t it be safer for you to throw away your gun into the deepest river in your neighbourhood ? So you will not be challenged by your own gun, when you, God forbid, temporarely get deeply depressed by tragic events unforseen, or , when you think you have a chance against criminals, grab your gun and be killed in what these criminals will call for themselves “(il)legal self-defence” ?
But never mins stats : the discussion is, of course, endless.
I still think: when a gun is readily available in all circonstances, sooner or later it will kill (unnecessarily). It’s a rattlesnake in the house. Deterrent for others , yes, but you can never trust it.
I must say i never fired a gun, hesitate even to touch it, and no, i did not have education to handle it. The hunting gun of my grandfather was destroyed before my eyes by my father when he inherited it. I may reassemble it, one time, but I hope never to hear the sound of bullet shattering bone.
So there is a big difference in point of view of course: i’m discussing here things i do not know. Most people talking in this forum know what they talk about and feel comfortable with their gun(s). I don’t mind. I’m not a preacher: you can be right i can be wrong. I know you’re all carefull and very reasonable . But i think we can agree on this : not any gun can be allowed in any hand at all times. So, what are the rules (preferably equal for all) ?
